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Pakistan's exports to Afghanistan decreased by 35 per cent in the fourth quarter of the previous year, according to business leaders, reported Pajhwok Afghan News.
The reduction in exports was attributed by a leader of the Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) to the crisis in the neighbouring nation and the suspension of shipment clearance at Torkham. The exports in the last quarter of 2021 slumped as, following a notification from Pakistan's central bank, officials stopped clearing goods-laden vehicles, halting trade between the two countries. In a previous statement, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had approved shipments to Afghanistan after receiving payments in dollars from Afghan businesses. However, the central bank issued a new notice, moving the deadline from December 31 to December 13 and it brought laden vehicles to a standstill in Torkham, reported the news agency. Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, vice president of PAJCCI, said: "Due to non-issuance of Form E and Form I by SBP, many loaded trucks remain parked on both sides of the border post." In a statement on Friday, Sarhadi said the officials concerned refused to clear the trucks in light of the new notification from the central bank. (ANI)
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